★★☆☆☆
On Nov. 8, Harlem native and A$AP Rocky affiliate A$AP Ferg released his new album DAROLD, which is his government name. The album comes with 12 tracks and features big industry names like Future, Denzel Curry, and Coco Jones.
The direction behind this album can be found on Ferg’s various social media accounts. In an Instagram post published in November 2024, Ferg explained what drove him to make this album.
“I gave people, A$AP Ferg, “Hood Pope”, Trap Lord, now I want to give them the guy behind the guy,” Ferg said. “This record is certainly personal. I’m touching on topics that I’ve never spoken about before.”
It is clear that Ferg has realized what he has already given to the hip-hop community in terms of music. Now, he wants to tell those same people who he is and what drove him to bring those spectacular records to light.
Ferg, who has always expressed an artistic interest, also decided to make his own cover art for this album. His previous pieces did not showcase his artwork, so Ferg makes an effort to be vulnerable and show listeners who he is.
“This is a literal work of art,” Ferg wrote in a different Instagram post. “I started painting again during the pandemic and flirted with the idea of doing my own cover art for my album. The therapeutic nature of brush on canvas put me in a zone.”
DAROLD touches on many different genres, including New York drill on “Light Work,” trap on “Thought I Was Dead,” and “Allure,” and some slower indie-sad rap on “Alive :(.” The album then closes with three heartfelt tracks: “Pool,” “Chosen,” and “DAROLD,” the title track.
“Alive :(“ is a sad, self-reflective, and honest track that regards all of Ferg’s flaws. The song actually hurt to listen to, hearing the ways in which Ferg talks about how he dealt with his day-to-day life. He confronts many of his problems on this track, discussing his toxic addiction to women, his eating habits, and even his friends.
“Dead Homies” works in the same manner as “Alive :(.” A gorgeous song and undeniably the best track on the album, “Dead Homies” shows Ferg’s dedication to his friends who have passed. This beautiful ode to the people Ferg has lost shows listeners that he truly misses them and everything they represented.
The problem with DAROLD is that it feels all over the place. Despite having some songs that would make listeners shed a tear, the album mostly showcases tracks that go in one ear and out the other. Various songs have no meaning beyond materialism, and many beats feel bland and generic.
Even when a song has an excellent beat, Ferg tends to have weird flows or he just sounds bored out of his mind. It’s a constant struggle between the two, dramatically impacting the album’s quality.
This album certainly has some introspective tracks, but for the most part, it’s bland and gets old after 40 minutes. Some decent tracks are given the chance to shine, but there’s not enough to keep listeners interested through the entire album.
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